


Forget-me-not

by Skye_La



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Curse, F/F, F/M, Swan Queen Week 2015, The Enchanted Forest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-31
Updated: 2015-01-31
Packaged: 2018-03-09 20:28:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3263315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skye_La/pseuds/Skye_La
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>28 years after Regina's threat, The Enchanted Forest has forgotten its Queen, though they are about to get a stark reminder.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Forget-me-not

"I'm going to destroy your happiness if it's the last thing I do"

Regina had threatened them. Snow looked out of her window, absent-mindedly stroking her baby bump.

She lost so many nights of sleep and David’s hackles were up for weeks, if not months. As time passed they relaxed into a state of alertness but not fear. The absence of The Queen grew their confidence. They prepared for war but none came. The castle was armed to the teeth and braced or The Queen's wrath, but it never came. For 28 years Regina was not seen in the Enchanted Forest and the people forgot her threat and the fear she had struck into their hearts that day.

 

The princess stood in the room that had one been her nursery but was now her bedchamber. She wore a red leather jerkin over a long sleeved shirt and with soft doe skin breeches.

"Ready?" Snow asked from the door wearing something similar, though she wore a riding coat over hers and her bow and arrows were already slung on her shoulder.

They went on the hunt for something for Emma's birthday ball that evening. Emma's skill with a crossbow and Snow's with a longbow ensured the party would we well catered.

Emma couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong, that she was being watched. Her parents were always so careful about her birthdays that they made her nervous but she didn't know why. She had insisted on a party this year for that reason and to widen her social circle, which she was growing increasingly cramped by.

When the time of the party arrived Emma stood on the other side of the double doors. She straightened her dress.

"Is this too much? I feel like it's too much. I should change. I feel sick" she flustered. David took her hand.

"You look beautiful. You are fine" he smiled reassuringly at her. She smiled back nervously.

"Well that's easy for you to say. Is any part of your outfit made of whale bone?" She asked. David laughed.

"That's my other waistcoat!" He said in a silly voice.

The doors opened and the scene unfolded before her eyes. People danced in ball gowns and tails of colours she had never seen. The music was lively and the hall was decorated with boughs of fresh leaves and flowers, enchanted floating candles and things that she couldn’t identify, but they sparkled.

David held her hand up in line with her shoulder as she was announced. The music changed from the lively jig to a respectful but jubilant melody.

The guests all faced them and Emma felt her cheeks grow hot though she smiled widely at all of them. She caught Grumpy’s eye, even he grinned at her and she felt reassured.

The crowd parted and David swept her onto the dance floor. They had practised for this but now her feet forgot everything.

“Look at me” David said, under his breath, seeing her panic. He held her gaze and smiled reassuringly.

“Stop thinking so hard” he said quietly. She tried to forget what she was supposed to do, and she did it. “See” he said, twirling her around. 

Guests began to dance around them too and Emma let her heart rate slow to a manageable, even enjoyable rate. They danced for a while, people cut in to dance with Emma and Snow danced with David. 

Emma left the floor to watch them. The way they looked at each other was mesmerising for her. It was like they turned a light on in each other. They were in their own world.

“Many happy returns, Princess” a man in a very ornate amber doublet said from her side.

“Thank you” she replied. She took in his smooth features, curly black hair and deep brown eyes, trying to guess from his dress where he was from. 

“Would you care to dance?” He asked, looking too nervous to smile.

“I would love to, though I need a break for now” she said. He looked kind of relieved but also unsure of her response. “Ask me again later?” she asked. He smiled.

“Yes my lady!” He said enthusiastically. He bowed as she left him with a smile. She was accosted more times than she could count on the way to find something to drink.

The table that had seemed so close just moment earlier now looked like an obstacle course of interactions she did not want to have. 

She turned to her right and saw a group of finely dressed women stood close together. It was certainly unlikely she’d be asked to dance again while standing with them, but she also didn’t really know them and would have to make the same awkward small talk. 

The beautiful hall began to feel full, too full and she felt the weight of her guests’ eyes on her. She felt like something pressed her throat hard, though she wore nothing around it. She turned to her left and saw a channel for escape.

She made her way through it, trying to hide that she was gulping in air and still couldn’t breathe. She was almost through when she stood on something and her ankle rolled over on itself. She fell to one side but felt someone catch and pull her up. She half expected it to be the man with brown eyes, but she felt too dizzy to look up. 

They lifted her to her feet again and helped walk her to the foot of the steps that lead out of the hall. Emma went to take the first one.

“No Princess, this way” came a woman’s voice. The woman lead her around the banister and through a door covered by a tapestry.

The chamber was dark until the woman lit a torch hanging in a wall bracket with her spare hand. Emma didn’t have the presence of mind to winder how this was possible. Orange light filled the room. 

It was cooler than the hall and she felt herself able to breathe again. The woman helped her over to a barrel to sit on and Emma finally faced her. She looked not much older than her. She wore a sleek green dress, brought in at the waist by a belt of pewter discs.

Her face was heart shaped and her eyes were dark, though they seemed a different kind of dark to the man Emma had spoken to. They had more depth. Emma felt like if she looked into them long enough, she would know this woman completely.

“May I?” The woman asked, kneeling at Emma’s feet.

“Yes” Emma croaked, her throat still dry. The woman pushed aside Emma’s skirts to see her ankle. She lifted her foot gently from the ground and took off her sparkling slipper. She rubbed her thumb lightly around the side and over the bone. Emma suppressed a shiver. She was used to her maids dressing her, but she rarely touched anyone other than hugging her parents.

“Does this hurt?” the woman asked, looking up at Emma while she felt the back of Emma’s ankle more firmly.

Emma tried to concentrate, though she still felt light headed and the intensity of the woman’s stare seemed to push everything else out of her mind.

“No” she said eventually. The woman held her foot and manoeuvred it in circles slowly.

“Does this?” she asked, looking up again

“No” Emma replied. The woman replaced the slipper and lowered her skirts again. She rose to her feet.

“Good” she smiled. Emma watched her looking around the room.

“Who are you?” Emma asked.

“Oh” the woman looked back at her “You don’t know me, but I know who you are. I…” she rubbed her arm “I wasn’t invited” she said and avoided Emma’s eyes.

“I don’t know most of the people here” Emma laughed

The woman uncovered a crate that had been covered by a very dusty blanket. The bottles underneath were pristine. She pulled one out and read the label. 

“Sparkling apple cider?” The woman asked

“I’ve never tried it” Emma replied, though at this point she’d drink moat water she was so thirsty.

“Really? Well now is your chance!” She twisted out the cork and it popped. She passed the bottle to Emma. Emma looked at it and pursed her lips. The woman lowered the bottle.

“Sorry” Emma said seeing the disappointment in her face. “My parent’s always told me not to take anything from…people I don’t know”

The woman nodded and took a long drink from the bottle. 

“Gosh I missed that” she said with a wide smile

“You’ve had royal cider before?” Emma asked.

“I used to know this castle very well” she said

“You worked here?” Emma asked

“How did you think I knew about this store room?” The woman replied, neither confirming nor denying Emma’s question.

They talked in the room for a while. Emma almost felt relaxed. She took the bottle from the other woman and drank.

“You should probably go back. All those gentlemen will be wondering where you are” she smiled cheekily.

“Ugh” Emma said “I don’t want to go back. How do people wear these dresses? I thought it would be fun bit it is not” she laughed at herself.

“You do look beautiful” the woman said genuinely. Emma almost blushed.

“Thank you” she said “I don’t feel like…myself. I guess.” She looked sad.

“Do you want to get away without being seen?” the woman asked, a hint of surprise and approval in her voice.

“Yes!” Emma said “I wish” 

“Well, Princess, follow me then.” The woman replaced the empty cider bottle and covered the crate. She took the torch from the bracket and led Emma slowly down a passage. She stopped once in a while to think.

Emma watched her face in the flickering light. This was such a strange thing to do and yet, the anxiety she usually felt in new situations was absent. She felt like she was exactly where she was supposed to be.

The woman led the unsuspecting Princess through the bowels of the castle to where she thought her chambers must be. They went up stairs and down passages and through corridors before they stopped at a wooden door. The hinges looked pretty rusty.

“I think this should lead to your chambers” she said “a tapestry hangs outside of…” her brow wrinkled as she tried to remember.

“A knight slaying Maleficent the dragon” Emma said. The woman laughed.

“Are you sure it isn’t a knight about to get roasted by her?” she asked. Emma looked at her questioningly. She had never thought of it that way. Why would anyone think of it that way?

“It’s no matter” she continued “we’re in the right place.” She opened the door and it creaked. Emma stepped through.

“Wow, you’re right” Emma said “I couldn’t imagine where we were at all” she looked around the landing in amazement. “Are you coming?” she asked.

“To your chambers?” the woman asked, raising her eyebrows. Emma felt a familiar crunch of nerves in her stomach. She didn’t know if it was the thought of her leaving or staying that brought it on.

“Please” she said “I have no idea to get out of this dress, I’ll be stuck in it all night”

The woman watched her with concern. She looked down the empty hallway and back at Emma’s pleading face. She watched her tuck a fallen golden curl behind her ear in nervousness.

“Ok” she said, somewhat reluctantly and followed Emma quickly to the door.

 

Regina followed her inside and closed the door, checking that no one saw them. She had been safe in the crowd, safer in the hidden corridors of the castle walls, but now she was out in the open. There was no escape from these rooms, deliberately some of the safest in the castle. 

They entered a small reception room, lined with bookshelves and artwork. Emma led her to her bedchamber and dressing room. Regina looked around it all, seeing the life of a young woman laid out around her. Emma was a real person. She had a personality and interests, passions and a life. 

Dread began to well up in the pit of her stomach. Her mission was so simple and clear, that was the beauty of it, but Emma was ruining it by showing her trust and friendship that she hadn’t expected. She wasn’t spoilt or pompous and annoying like her parents. Regina’s doubts welled up in her ears and she couldn’t hear that Emma was talking to her.

“Hey” she heard from her side and turned quickly.

“You ok?” Emma repeated. Regina watched her examine her face, Emma searched her eyes for meaning and glanced at her lips. Regina nodded.

“I’m fine” she said, though she didn’t really feel it. Emma walked over to a long mirror.

“You don’t have to stay, though I would like you to. If you could help me out of this…” she turned and looked at herself “This is the last bit they tied up” Emma said, indicating a point on her waist. 

Regina looked at her reflection. Her face was so pretty but there was a veil of some feeling over it. Fear or half forgotten regret. She was beautiful and sad. 

Regina felt part of herself reflected in the woman before her. She was so vulnerable. Regina’s impulse to destroy weakness in herself flared up and she wanted to hurt Emma too. Her need to protect surfaced just as quickly and an internal conflict raged in her. 

She noticed Emma watching her look her over. She knew how to take off a dress like Emma’s. She knew how to do it quickly, though she didn’t.

She untied the ribbon at Emma’s waist and a skirt of white lace and crystals fell away from her. Regina placed it carefully on an ornate chair. She unlaced the back of the dress deliberately. 

She could feel Emma watching her in the mirror. Her careful fingers teased apart the opening of the dress. She slid it over Emma’s shoulders, leaning into her. She noticed she smelled like wild flowers. Emma felt her breath on her neck and goose bumps rippled over her. 

The sleeves dragged over the skin of her arms and Regina slid the cuffs over Emma’s hands. She slipped another silk skirt from around Emma’s waist, until all that was left was her corset and a half slip. 

Emma stretched her shoulders back and rolled her neck, glad to have the heavy dress off her body. Her back was sculpted and Regina found herself wanting to draw her fingers down over her shoulder blades, though she didn’t.

She waited for Emma to look at her to let her know to carry on. She felt she might be taking an extra long time stretching her neck to let Regina watch her, and she did.

She finally opened her eyes and Regina’s fingers picked at the fine ribbons holding Emma in tightly. As she loosened them she glanced over Emma’s shoulder at the mirror. She saw her shape change from tight and repressed to its natural form. 

Her hands shook slightly on the middle rungs. She knew how it could hurt to have a corset ripped off quickly, but she was also being intentionally, painfully slow.

Emma lifted her arms and Regina held the ribbons of the last couple of loops, though they cut into her hands at Emma’s movement. Regina watched her slender fingers locate and pull out a pin from her loosely tied up hair. It tumbled down her back. Blonde ringlets swished with the movement of her head and the smell of wild flowers took over Regina again. She let a rush of some intoxicating feeling wash over her for a moment. She let the ribbons go and pulled the corset from Emma’s torso.

Regina stood behind her, unable to move and unable to look at Emma in the mirror. Her eyes stayed downcast though they traced the curve of Emma’s back.

She watched Emma’s feet turn to point at her. She felt her heart banging in her chest but still could not look up.

“You can leave now if you want to” Emma said quietly, the unspoken ‘but I don’t think you want to’ hung in the air between them.

Regina was overwhelmed by conflicting feelings of security and dread, arousal and fear, sympathy and resentment. 

She brought her chin up before her eyes followed. They dragged over her waist, her ribs, her breasts, collarbone, neck and then finally met her eyes. They stared into the depths of each other, both nervous, both feeling a deep, aching connection between them. 

Emma leant slowly in. Regina’s lips parted but she turned her face away at the last possible moment.

“You’re the princess” she breathed. Emma kissed her neck and Regina gasped as she felt her last defence fall at the touch of Emma’s lips.

 

“Emma?” Her father’s voice echoed through the chamber. They broke apart. Emma leapt from her bed and threw on a dressing gown.

“Dad” She said, closing her bedroom door behind her.

“Where did you go? No one has seen you for hours. Are you ok?” He asked, assessing her. She pulled her robe tightly around her, hoping it would hide the emotions she felt were flooding out of her as she dragged herself back into reality.

“I was tired, there were a lot of people” She said

“You look flushed” He went to touch her face and she stepped back. He looked at her in surprise, then at the door. “Is someone in here?” he asked.

“No, dad” she lied He stomped to the door and threw it open.

“Dad!” She shouted. He stared into the room. 

Emma’s clothes were hung on a chair and her sheets were thrown back. There was no one else there. His chest seemed to deflate a little. Emma looked around the room for woman she was entwined with moments ago but she was gone.

“Can we talk about this in the morning?” She asked him, righteous anger flaring up in her at his boorish behaviour.

He walked out without speaking. 

 

Weeks went by and she never saw the woman again. She made excuses to take trips to nearby villages. She went on rides alone through the forest and spent more time by herself than ever. She found herself waking up in the night, sometimes calling out but when she woke she couldn’t remember what.

One day while she looked out at the forest from a balcony she heard a familiar voice from behind her.

“Emma” she said. She spun around. The woman who had taken over her every thought for weeks stood in front of her. She could barely think let alone speak.

“W-where did you go?” she managed “what happened? I thought…Did I take advantage of you that night? Did you not want to stay?” she asked, finding her voice again.

The other woman gulped “No you didn’t” she said “I did. I had a choice, I shouldn’t have stayed.” Her chest rose and fell quickly. Emma looked around her, unseeing. She had thought about this moment every day and now it was here, all the things she wanted to say, do and ask had gone from her.

“Emma I have something for you” she said quietly. Emma frowned at her, trying to keep her tears at bay.

The woman pulled a small round bottle from her bag. It was dulled blue glass with a silver cap, decorated with little silver flowers.

“What is it?” Emma asked. She looked into the other woman’s eyes that were filled with regret.

“It’s…a piece of your past. If you drink it, you’ll destroy your relationship with your parents, everything you have known for years” Emma looked at her, horrified but did not interrupt. “but you will also gain back the piece of yourself that you have lost. I know you have. I felt it that night. I can feel it now”

Emma took the bottle, confused and intrigued. 

“I need you to know something else, before you decide to take it or not” she said. Emma thought she saw a glint of a falling tear but it was gone when she looked up. “I wanted to hurt you once” she said “and now…” she trailed off “that will never stop hurting me”

She pressed the bottle into Emma’s hand, looked up into her innocent face and kissed her one last time. Emma slid her hand through her hair, forgetting everything around them, just wanting to keep them together, to keep the feeling Regina brought with her. 

Regina broke away and turned to go, but before she could Emma grabbed her arm.

“Wait! I don’t even know your name” Emma pleaded.

She turned back and this time Emma saw a tear graze her cheek. “It’s-“ she started.

“Regina?” Snow said from behind her, surprising them both. Regina turned to look at her. Snow’s mouth fell open as she recognised the woman who had terrorized her for years. The glass she held fell from her hands and smashed on the floor, sending shards in every direction.

Emma looked between them both.

“No” she said searching Regina’s face for the truth. Regina just looked back at her. Snow seemed frozen in horror.

“Snow?” David said, entering the room. The scene before him was his worst nightmare. His wife and daughter in a room alone with the Evil Queen. He drew his sword and rushed to Snow’s side.

“Dad! She’s unarmed!” Emma said from behind Regina.

“She’s never unarmed, Emma, she’s a witch” he said, keeping his eyes trained on his enemy.

“The last thing she said to us” he started 

“Was that I’d destroy your happiness if it was the last thing I did” Regina said in a cold voice Emma had never heard.

“You try, and it will be” David retorted. Regina smiled unfeelingly.

“Has it taken you 28 years to come up with that one, Charming? I didn’t need to destroy your happiness, you did that yourself when you stole Emma’s memories” she said, flexing her fingers threateningly though her arms stayed by her sides.

“What did you say?” Emma asked, though she heard her just fine.

“Emma get away from her” Snow pleaded.

“If I wanted to kill her, Snow White, I would have done it by now. Believe me I’ve had ample opportunity” Regina replied. 

Emma looked at the bottle in her hand.

“What is this?” Emma asked 

“It will bring back what they stole from you” Regina said softly.

“Don’t drink it Emma, it’s probably poison” Snow said

“It’s not” Regina said to Emma, looking into her eyes.

“She’s lying!” David said

“No she’s not” Emma said, looking back at them all. She ran her thumb over the silver flowers. “Forget-me-nots?” she asked. Regina nodded.

Emma uncapped the bottle and drank. David rushed forward, sword raised. Regina lifted a hand and he flew back through the air. Snow was torn between rushing to his side or her daughter’s.

The potion tasted bitter on her tongue and she fell to the ground. She heard her mother scream somewhere in the distance as she fell through time and space. 

Scenes flicked through her mind. A friend she had known, bad man, his good son. She liked him. She loved him, the lines on his face. Her parents’ fear and disapproval, “You can’t love him Emma, he’s the son of The Dark One”, her growing stomach, a baby, her son, his cries filled her ears, mingled with her screams from bringing him into the world. Her grief at losing him, and losing his father, Baelfire. The bleak cold morning, long grey years stretching out ahead of her. Loneliness and isolation, the blue fairy, a spell and then now. She felt herself hit the stone flags.

“Emma!” she heard her mother’s voice, felt her hands lift head and touch her face.

She opened her eyes and tears poured from them. Tears she had held in for years, that she didn’t even know she needed to cry.

“My son” she said. Snow looked back down at her.

“We were trying to help you, Emma” she said, her voice desperate. “He was-“

“Stop” Emma said “I’ve heard all your arguments before” she sat up, holding the balcony edge for support. She saw Regina looking back at her, her eyes swimming in sorrow.

“Do you know where he is?” Emma asked her. Snow stood.

“No” she turned on Regina, who still looked down at Emma

“Regina you can’t” Snow said, her voice almost pleading

“I already have, Snow” she said quietly, though not in the tone of retribution she had pictured for so long. She looked into Snow’s eyes and saw the little girl she knew once.

Now that she had achieved what she set out to do, her heart was filled with sadness for Emma and her son, for herself, even for the loss Snow was about to endure.

“You can’t steal our daughter” David appeared again, sword in hand though his head was bleeding.

“I haven’t stolen her” Regina said “she’s leaving you willingly.” She reached down for Emma’s hand, pulled her to her feet and as David slashed down into the space Regina occupied they both disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke.


End file.
